Odd land-road ratio in city
The total area of the roads and the streets should be 25 percent of a city’s total area for helping build a modernized traffic system, but in Dhaka that area is 10 percent only. This is the first cause of the traffic jam.
In addition, the existing roads and streets, shopping malls, offices and residential quarters, diagnostic centres and hospitals, and educational institutions have been built in an unplanned way. It intensifies traffic jam.
The number of passenger buses and minibuses is much lesser in ratio with the population. Moreover, the bus owners do not maintain time table. Besides, there are no fixed bus stoppages with shades over the heads to protect women and children in particular against rain and sunshine. As a result, passengers take position on roads for boarding into buses and minibuses. This is another major cause of traffic hazard.
Police apply manual system to maintain discipline on roads and often mistake by allowing drivers to move ahead together from the opposite direction. It creates unbearable anomaly at the crossing. To get rid therefrom, trained and specialized hands are required. But it seems that their number is quite insufficient. The remedy is auto-traffic control system, which was built and then left unused. This the fourth cause of the traffic congestion.
Now may we request the ministry of roads and bridges, the BRTA, two city corporations and other concerned to sit together for a solution?
P. Rozario
Dhaka
